Ancient Evil
by Matthais Unidostres
Summary: The Lion Guard is contacted by a spirit of the past so that they may learn the dark truth about the Pride Lands' greatest evil, who, as it turns out, is a lot older than one would think.


**Ancient Evil**

Kion gazed around, amazed at his surroundings. The sky above was clear and blue, and there was nothing but pure white clouds as far as the eye could see. There was no visible Sun in the sky, yet the expanse was filled with light. On top of everything, Kion had no idea how he had gotten there.

"Kion?"

The young lion turned around fast to see Fuli approaching him with wide eyes.

"Fuli? What's going on?" Kion asked.

The cheetah had a look of resignation on her face as she replied, "So, you don't know either. . . _Great_. . ." Fuli then looked around awkwardly at the surrounding infinity, unsure of what to say or do next.

"There you are!" shouted a voice from above, and down flew Ono, who timidly landed on the clouds. "Eh. So weird. We're standing on a cloud. . ." he said, his keen eyes looking about his surroundings..

"I know right," said Beshte as he stepped across the clouds, his heavy weight not doing much to the clouds he was stomping on.

Kion looked around at his friends and assessed the situation, "Okay. . . so, we're all in the clouds. . .somehow. . . Wait, where's Bunga?"

Suddenly, the clouds right in front of Beshte suddenly puffed up and burst, revealing the courageous honey badger who stood up stretching and yawning. "Oh, man. What a great sleep. Zuka Zama, it was like sleeping on a cloud," he said with a smile. He looked around at his surroundings, and his smile immediately fell. "Uh. . . are we all dead?" he asked.

Suddenly, as if she just appeared out of nowhere, Makini stepped towards the group. Bakora Staff in hand, she responded to Bunga's question, "No, I wouldn't say we are."

Surprised at the mandrill's sudden appearance, Kion asked, "Makini? What's going on? Where are we?"

Makini took a pensive look about endless clouds and said, "I'm not sure. . . but . . . from what Rafiki has taught so far, I _think_ this might some kind of. . . _realm_ that connects our world to the place where the Great Lions of the Past reside."

There was suddenly a mighty lion's roar that trumped even Kion's Roar of the Elders. It nearly caused the young animals to lose their balance as the clouds moved in waves and swirled around. A clump of clouds came together, and a bright light shone from within it. Then, with a flash, the clouds were dispersed revealing an adult lion. He had a golden-brown fur pelt and a light golden underbelly. His face had a white muzzle and dark orange nose, and he had big red mane with darker red edges and yellow stripe markings, two on each side and three above the forehead.

Kion's eyes went wide with realization as he recalled the cave paintings he had seen before in the Lair of the Lion Guard. "You're. . . Askari!" he gasped, and then immediately fell down and bowed. The rest of the Lion Guard, and Makini as well, immediately followed suit.

The spirit of the leader of the first Lion Guard smiled at the group and said, "You needn't bow down to me. You are all Lion Guard, and therefore we stand on even ground."

As the Lion Guard slowly stood back up, Kion looked up nervously at the elder lion and said with a nervous tremor in his voice, "It – it's an _honor_, sir."

"You honor _me, _Kion, by upholding the honor and value of the Lion Guard," Askari said proudly, then he looked over at the others and said, "As do the rest of you."

"Zuka Zama. . ." Bunga said in a hushed, awed whisper.

Askari then looked to the young mandrill, who was still bowing. "You needn't bow down to me either, Makini, for it was the Great Lions of the Past who chose you to become the next Royal Mjuzi."

Makini stood back up, her eyes wide and her head nodding up and down with nervous energy as she said, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you your Lordship! I just, I mean, ohmigosh, ohmigosh!"

"Be that as it may. . ." Askari said, his smile turning into a serious frown, "I have brought you all here to discuss the great evil that now threatens the Pride Lands."

Kion looked down with a mixture of shame and frustration. "Yeah. Scar's back and more dangerous than ever. Kilio Valley. . . Mizimu Grove. . . Scar burned it all down, and he won't stop until he's taken over everything."

"Indeed," Askari said gravely, "And it is up to you to defeat him. I have faith that you will succeed. However, to ensure your success, you all must learn the truth about Taka."

Bunga nodded his head and said, "Sure thing, your first leader of the Lion Guard-ship! All of us are ready to learn the truth about Taka! We just have one question." Bunga then pulled a confused face and asked, "Who's Taka?"

Askari smiled patiently and said, "Taka is the birthname of the very lion you must face; Scar."

Bunga blinked his eyes owlishly and said, "Scar's real name is Taka?"

Ono stared at Bunga and said, "What? Did you think when his was born his parents named him 'Scar'?"

". . . Yeah?" Bunga said with a sheepish smile.

Fuli groaned and said, "Come on, Bunga! It's not like you can be born with a scar on your face."

Feeling bad for Bunga, Beshte cut in and said, "Uh, actually, it could've been a birthmark or something."

Bunga grinned and nodded his head, "Yeah! Like, it was a birthmark on his face that looked like a scar."

Fuli just shook her head slowly and said, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Everyone! _Shwari!_ Be calm," Makini urged nervously as she looked at Askari with nervous reverence.

Kion face palmed and said with a groan, "_Seriously, _guys!"

Much to Kion's surprise however, Askari began to laugh good-naturedly. Kion put his paw down and looked at the smiling elder lion.

"Do not be ashamed of your friends, Kion," Askari said with a grin, "If only you could've seen and heard the conversations and squabbles that my Lion Guard had in its prime. It is quite clear to me that you all share a strong bond, and a true friendship."

Kion found that his spirits were lifted by the elder lion's words. Glad that such a revered figure approved of him and his team, Kion stood proudly and said, "Thank you, Askari. Please, tell us what we need to know about Scar so we can defeat him once and for all."

Askari nodded, and he held his head up high and let out the mightiest of roars. With the roar also came with a blinding white light that caused the young animals to flinch and shut their eyes. When the light faded, the group found themselves standing in an entirely new location. They were now back on solid ground, and they were surrounded by massive structures made of stone.

Beshte voice what was on everyone's mind as they all looked around in amazement, "What is this place?"

"This is the ancient land of Nemea," Askari said, "And we have traveled thousands of years in the past to see it as it was then."

"Thousands of years in the past?" Kion echoed in amazement.

Makini looked around and with wonder and said, "It doesn't look anything like the Pride Lands at all! I wonder what manner of animal built all of this?"

"Whoa! Cool! A monster!" Bunga suddenly shouted, jumping up and pointing.

Everyone turned to see a strange two-legged creature coming their way. It vaguely resembled some kind of ape or monkey, but it had no tail, and it only had hair on the top of its head, which was strawberry-blond in color. It wore brown leather armor with a dark brown belt, brown wristbands, and matching warrior sandals. It also wore a long light blue cape on its back.

Unafraid, but slightly repulsed, Fuli recoiled slightly and said, "What _is_ that thing?"

"Physically, a human," Askari said, "But within, he is a truly powerful being. Fear not, however, for he is a great hero who is pure of heart."

Bunga grinned and said, "Oh. So, he's a good guy? Okay then. What's his name?"

_**"HERCULES!"**_

The shout came out as a terrifying roar that shook the young heroes to their core, even the brave honey badger. They all turned to see an incredibly massive lion come in out of nowhere. It was even bigger than Askari. Its fur was brown, its mane was black as night, its fangs and claws were hideously long and sharp, and its eyes were red and evil looking.

"Scar?" Kion whispered to himself in shock.

The massive lion snarled as it stepped over to Hercules. "Lord Hades sent me to kill you, and I will do just that!" the lion growled out, "The blood of Typhon and Echidna flows through me, and I am the most malicious of all monsters! Nemea is my domain! The people here are mine to devour as I see fit! My fur cannot be pierced by any weapon! I cannot be defeated!"

The Nemean lion towered over Hercules and snarled at him, "And your demise will be the proof!"

Entirely unafraid, Hercules dealt the lion a swift punch right in its face. The lion staggered backwards, stunned by the attack, only to then receive a kick to its rear, sending it flying. It landed several feet away, but then quickly recovered and quickly got up and charged at Hercules, who was in turn charging at him. The two collided and fell to the ground and began rolling around as they fought each other. The Nemean lion swung its paws, with its hideously long claws out, at Hercules. However, the warrior was able bat the lion's paws away before they could slash at him. Hercules landed punch after punch at the Nemean lion's face. Eventually, Hercules used both feet to punt the beast right in its stomach, sending it flying in a tall arc through the air. The lion landed flat on its back, making a solid thud when it struck the ground. As the others merely watched in awe, Bunga was jumping up and down in excitement, cheering wildly, "Woo-hoo! Go Hercules! Zuka Zama!"

Once again, the Nemean lion recovered, and it stood back up and charged at Hercules. Then it pounced with its paws out and its deadly claws extended, but Hercules caught both of the lion's paws in his hands and gripped them tightly. The lion roared as it pushed hard against Hercules, using all of its strength to try to overpower him. However, Hercules merely grit his teeth as he pushed back against his foe. Then, the lion let out a roar of agony as Hercules crushed its paws, and then the tossed the lion right into the wall of one of the buildings.

Hercules ran towards the Nemean lion, and just as he was about to jump onto it, time itself suddenly stopped. Hercules was frozen in mid-jump, and all was eerily silent.

"Go now," Askari said as he pointed towards the scene, "Listen to the last words of the Nemean lion, for they will be vital to understanding the true nature of your foe."

The group all exchanged confused glances, but nevertheless obeyed the elder lion and moved in closer to the fight scene.

Time resumed, and Hercules landed on the lion and wrapped his hands around its neck.

"Impossible. . ." the Nemean lion croaked out, "You fight like no man or demon I have ever known."

Hercules grit his teeth as he tightened his grip on the monster's throat.

The lion glared defiantly at Hercules as he choked out, "Do not think this is over. . .My malice will not end here! It will be reborn! I will rise again!"

Hercules' muscles bulged as he put all his strength in strangling his foe. Even as he did this, however, the Nemean lion continued to speak, a vile sneer on his face all the while as he fought to get words out even as the life was being choked out of him.

"In the name of Typhon and Echidna . . . In the name of Lord Hades. . . In the name of evil itself! I set my curse! An _incarnation_ of my hatred shall persist in this world. . . until it becomes a _burnt wasteland_ for all time!"

With red eyes blazing, the Nemean lion chocked out two final words:

"_**Be prepared. . ."**_

Then, the massive beast went limp and lifeless.

Hercules stood up and stretched out a bit, breathing heavily after the fight. Then he smiled down at the beast and said, "I think you'll make a fine outfit, cat."

Suddenly, Askari let out another massive roar, and another blinding light overcame the group. When the light faded, they found themselves back in the Pride Lands. However, the surroundings were not lush and full of life. Rather, everything was grey and burnt, just as it had been during Scar's reign.

Before the observers stood two groups of lions. On one side stood the past version of Askari, in the flesh, and his own Lion Guard; the _first_ Lion Guard. On the other side stood a group of lions that looked slightly fiercer and wilder. Leading the other group was a slightly larger, dark brown lion with a jet-black mane. Not only that, he also had a long scar across his left eye.

"Behold," the spirit of Askari said, "The ending of the battle my Lion Guard fought against the evil lions who invaded the Pride lands."

"Woah!" Makini said, clearly awestruck by what she was seeing, "Seeing the paintings was one thing, but seeing it happen right before my eyes? This is incredible!"

Kion, however, didn't share in the mandrill's enthusiasm. Rather, he felt slightly confused, and a bit worried. _"That lion looks like Scar too," _Kion thought to himself, _"But why?"_

"Surrender, Ubaya!" past-Askari shouted, "Your reign of evil is finished! You dared to mark these lands with the image of your own scarred eye, but now it is being quickly wiped away by the Lion Guard! You and your followers are no match for us, so stand down!"

The evil leader, apparently named Ubaya, just snarled back and said, "Do you realize who you are dealing with? I am the Great King of Evil! I am the most malicious of all lions! Nothing you can do will stop me!"

Past-Askari unleashed the Roar of the Elders, and the rest of his Lion Guard joined in with their own roars to show their support. Ubaya's followers were sent flying right out of the Pride Lands just like Kion would send like Janja's clan of hyenas flying. Ubaya himself, however, was only slightly pushed back. The evil lion dug his claws into the ground as he stood fast against the roar.

"This is your last chance, Ubaya!" past-Askari warned, "Surrender now, and agree to never return, and we shall spare your life!"

"I will fight you with my last breath!" Ubaya shouted, his eyes burning with rage and hatred unlike any other.

"So be it!" past-Askari shouted, "Then prepare to face off against our unstoppable force!"

The Lion Guard quickly surrounded Ubaya and closed in on him.

"What is this?" Ubaya shouted in both confusion and rage.

"Goodbye, Ubaya!" past-Askari shouted, and then he and the rest of his Lion Guard all unleashed roared at the evil lion simultaneously. The sound and power of the roars seemed to box Ubaya in, causing the patch of ground he was standing on the vibrate.

Ubaya roared with pure agony as he reared up on his hind legs and pressed his forepaws against his ears. The power of Askari's Roar of the Elders, tuned with the roars of his Lion Guard, seemed to inflict pain on his very soul. "NOOOOO! CURSE YOU, ASKARI! CURSE YOU, LION GUARD!" Ubaya shouted as his eye were wide and practically glowing with rage and denial, "I _WILL_ BE REBORN! I _WILL_ RISE AGAIN!"

Ubaya threw his head back and roared at the sky, "_**BE PREPARED!**__"_

Then, Ubaya fell down to the ground, limp and lifeless, and with blood dripping out of his ears.

". . . It is done," past-Askari solemnly, "The Pride Lands are free. The Circle of Life has been saved."

The spirit of Askari roared again, and with another flash of blinding light, the group was returned to the endless expanse of clouds.

"Tell me, young ones," Askari said, "What have you learned?"

"That Hercules is AWESOME!" Bunga shouted enthusiastically.

Ono gave Bunga a sideways glance and said, "I'm pretty sure he was talking about the evil lions."

Bunga blinked and then smiled sheepishly, "Oh. Oh yeah. That makes sense."

"Well. . ." Kion began slowly, "They both kinda looked like Scar. Not _exactly_, but they all look similar. Their manes are all the same color, and Ubaya even had a scar too."

Makini nodded energetically and said, "And their last words were really similar too. They talked about being the most malicious, and they both said, _'be prepared' _before they died."

Beshte had a thoughtful look to him as he said, "Huh. It's really weird. It's almost like they're all the same lion or something."

"That is correct," Askari said simply.

Everyone stared at Askari in stunned shock.

"What?" Fuli said simply.

"But how!?" Ono exclaimed as he flapped his wings a bit in distress, "They all lived at completely different times, and all of them are dead!"

Bunga cut in and said, "Uh, Scar kinda sorta came back, so I guess technically he's . . . I dunno, _half-dead? _Does that count?"

"Do you not remember the claims that both the Nemian lion and Jabaya made before they died?" Askari inquired.

Makini's eyes widened with realization, and she said, "Yeah. . .they both said they'd be reborn and rise again. . . but how is that possible?"

Askari explained, "The Nemean lion was no mere mortal lion. He was the spawn of two powerful beings of the greatest of evil and chaos. He was a monster in every sense of the word. Therefore, when he, in his rage, spoke that curse not just against Hercules, but against the world itself, it actually carried quite a bit of clout. And so, his curse was made manifest, and his malice-filled spirit was given the ability to be reincarnated over and over again until his evil desires for revenge and destruction have been fulfilled, and the Circle of Life has been destroyed."

Filled with disbelief, Kion said, "So. . . when the Nemean lion died, he became Jabaya, and when Jabaya died, he became Scar?"

Askari let out a sigh and said, "All of you. . . you must understand. . . there had been many other times before Jabaya that the Nemean lion's spirit had been reincarnated."

Now even more confused, Kion asked, "Really? But then, why-?"

"There is a pattern to the evil spirit's reincarnation," Askari said, "The Nemean lion was beyond any mortal creature. Only a hero of divine power such as Hercules could face it. However, as a result of the curse, his spirit's rebirth was not at full strength. Although it retained it's evil, it did not possess the near invincibility of the Nemean lion. Life after life, it lived in relative obscurity, causing whatever meager pain and suffering it could. But as time went on, it not only slowly regained its strength, but also grew in intelligence. After centuries of deaths and rebirths, the ancient evil eventually reached a level of power to make a more. . . noticeable effect on the Circle of Life."

"Jabaya," Makini said softly.

Askari nodded and continued, "Jabaya was charismatic enough to lead a band of evil lions to invade the Pride Lands and decimate it for a time. But after his death, his spirit was sure to be reborn once again, and as it turned out, it had finally reached a point where it's power would begin to grow closer to that of the Nemean lion. Taka was set to be a threat more powerful than any mortal creature could ever face."

Kion looked up at Askari and said, "Well, my dad was able to beat Scar before."

"But only because the Powers on High intervened," Askari explained, "You see, they foresaw that Taka would become too powerful for either Mufasa or Simba to defeat. So, they made a decision that would be sure to seal the wicked spirit's power."

Makini leaned forward on her staff and said, "Ooh! What did they do?"

"They gave him the Roar of the Elders," Askari replied.

The group was once again silent in stunned shock.

"So. . ." Fuli began in a tone of utter bewilderment, "They gave a lion who is _literally_ nothing but pure evil something a powerful as the Roar of the Elders?"

"You don't understand," Askari said, "The mark of the Lion Guard, which appears on all members of the Lion Guard, also acts as a type of ward that can repel evil and weaken its hold. By giving Taka the Roar of the Elders, and therefore, the mark of the Lion Guard, they were able to make him permanently weaker, allowing him to eventually be defeated by Simba. What's more, the Roar of the Elders would be taken away the moment he used it for evil, thus lessening the risk of it being misused."

Askari then hung his head low and said, "Unfortunately, the final time Taka used the Roar was to murder his own Lion Guard. Also, even with the full power of the Nemean lion's spirit held back, Taka was still able to commit unspeakable crimes, and decimate the Pride Lands for years."

Askari then raised his head up and looked at the young creatures gathered before him. "So, now you know the true nature of your foe: _The embodiment of an ancient evil that is reborn time and time again._ And now, he has assumed a form of destructive, all-consuming flames. He is hatred and malice incarnate. He is brilliant, ruthless, and will not hesitate to kill each and every one of you. If set free, his destruction of the Pride Lands will only be the beginning. For once he becomes aware of his true nature as the spirit of the Nemean lion, his fiery rage will not cease until he has destroyed the entire world."

Everyone gasped at this.

"Destroy the world!?" Ono said with eyes wide with shock.

"Lion Guard," Askari said, "You are all young, and you have yet to truly unlock your full power. But your hearts are pure, and within you all is the determination to fight for what it right. It is up to you all to defeat Taka, and I am certain that you will do so."

"We sure will!" Bunga said confidently, "Scar, Taka, Jabaya, whatever his name is, he's going down! Right Kion?!"

Kion didn't answer. In fact, he was staring down at the clouds everyone was standing on. He had a frown on his face, and his eyes were filled not with confidence, but with shame.

"Uh, Kion?" Bunga asked nervously.

Kion let out a sigh, then he looked up at Askari and said, "This is all my fault."

"WHAT!?" shouted his friends.

"It's my fault Scar is back," Kion said, "If hadn't used my Roar in anger at the volcano, Scar wouldn't have been able to come back."

Askari stared ta Kion pensively for a long moment. ". . . I see," he said sternly, his facial expression unreadable.

"Kion, that's not fair," Beshte said sympathetically, "You can't take the blame for that. You didn't know that it would bring Scar back."

"Affirmative!" Ono shouted, "It's not his fault the Outlanders tricked him!"

"Nevertheless," Askari said sternly, "If not for Kion anger, Taka would not have returned."

"You still can't load all of the blame on him!" Fuli argued, "What Janja did, the way he threatened his family, Kion had every right to be angry!"

"You bet he did!" Bunga shouted, "If someone threatened my uncles, you'd bet I'd be angry too!"

Seeing the others jump to Kion's defense spurred Makini to action, and she stepped forward and said, "That's true! Also, it was the _Outlanders_ who performed the dark ritual needed to summon Scar! It might have needed Kion's roar to be completed, but that does not make Kion solely responsibility. Sure, I get it, Kion probably should have practiced _shwari_ instead of getting angry, of course. But in the end, he was tricked. So, with all due respect, I think you should take that into account before you judge him."

"And if you do blame him," Beshte said as he stepped forward, "Then you gotta blame all of us too. We could've reminded him not to lose it if we'd been there. The Lion Guard's a team, and that means we stand together."

The rest of Kion's friends all voice their agreement., much to Kion's amazement. Askari didn't appear to be affected by the display. That is, until he suddenly let a small smile through and said, "Remarkable. You all passed the test."

Everyone was stunned by this revelation.

"Test?" Bunga echoed in confusion.

"Kion admitted his mistakes. . . and you all stood with your friend and leader, showing loyalty and support. You are all worthy of being members of the Lion Guard. And you, Makini, have shown great wisdom indeed," Askari said, then he looked to Kion and said, "And as for your role in Taka's return, do not dwell too long on the errors of the past, when instead, you can fix them. In fact, Taka's revival might actually be a good thing."

". . .But, how?" Kion asked, unable to comprehend Askari's statement.

"By reviving Taka's spirit, the Outlanders had also broken the loop of reincarnation that the Nemean lion's spirit has been travelling along," Askari explained, "Therefore, if you are able to destroy Taka as he is now, it will also break the Nemean lion's curse and banish the spirit to the depths of the Underworld for all of eternity."

Makini's eyes lit up, and she said, "So, if Scar is defeated now, that's the end of him? For good?"

"Indeed," Askari said, "This would also spare any future generation from having to face the spirit in a physical body that matched the power of the original Nemean lion. We cannot rely on a powerful hero such as Hercules to be there should that cursed day arrive. Even if such a hero did arrive, the amount of death and destruction that would occur before the hero arrived would be disastrous. This may be the best chance we have in defeating the ancient evil once and for all."

Now fully emboldened and filled with newfound confidence, Kion nodded and said, "You can count on us, Askari. We _will _defeat Scar, no matter what!"

Askari frowned and said, "Indeed you will, but Taka's power has grown due to his new form, making him a danger unlike anything the Pride Lands have ever faced. Therefore, I must ask this of you: are you all willing to give your lives to see Taka defeated?"

There was a very tense silence that followed after Askari's words. The first one to break said silence was none other than Kion.

"I can't speak for my friends, and I would never knowingly put them into danger that wasn't necessary, but if it means keeping my family safe, and the rest of the Pride Lands too, I'd sacrifice myself to defeat Scar once and for all!" Kion said boldly.

"Same here!" Bunga shouted, "I'm not afraid of Scar, and while I'd rather not die and make my uncles sad; Hakuna Matata, at least they'd still be alive! Along with everyone else I'd have stopped Scar from killing! So count me in!"

"I'll _always _give it my all! Always!" Fuli said fiercely, "If I go down, then you _bet_ Scar's going down too! And that'll make it worth it!"

Ono nodded his head and said, "I'll do the right thing, even if it means making a sacrifice. I'm sure that we all would rather avoid that; but if it's unavoidable, then we'll just have to accept it."

"I'll back up my friends anytime, anyplace, anyhow!" Beshte said with great conviction, "If they don't run away, then neither will I!"

Makini gripped her staff tightly, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I may not officially be a part of the Lion Guard," she began with her eyes downcast, "But I feel that it's my destiny to help see Scar, or Taka, destroyed! And if I end up going down with him. . ." Makini held her head up high and looked Askari straight in the eye. ". . .then so be it!"

Askari gave a sweeping glance to the young creatures before him. Then he nodded and said. "Very well. Till the Pride Lands end. . ."

"_**LION GUARD DEFENDS!**_" shouted the group before him.

Then, after one final roar from Askari, the young creature all awoke, with the events of their shared dream permanently embedded in their minds.


End file.
